'If we have to negotiate a little longer, we will,' top House Republican says

The No. 3 ranking House Republican is vowing to keep the government open if the Senate returns a short-term clean funding bill.

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House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Sunday that the lower chamber will be ready to reconvene within a tight 10-hour window on Monday if the Senate acts on the most recent funding measure that passed the House late Saturday night.

"We will pass a bill ... that will keep the government open, that will reflect the House, that I believe the Senate can accept," McCarthy told "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace.

Asked if the potential future House measure would include an ObamaCare provision, McCarthy said, "I think there will be additions."

Should that mean passing a two-day funding extension to avoid a government shutdown, McCarthy said, "we will not shut the government down - if we have to negotiate a little longer we will."

Asked if he had an issue with GOP Senators Ted Cruz (Texas) and Mike Lee (Utah) ginning up opposition among conservative lawmakers to the House GOP leadership in order to defund ObamaCare, McCarthy refused to fight back.

“We have same goal - at times we have different strategies,” McCarthy said.